


be somebody

by TheFifthCharmedOne



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Asexual Eileen Leahy, Asexual Sam Winchester, Assassin Benny Lafitte, Assassin Dean Winchester, Assassin Jo Harvelle, Benny Lafitte & Dean Winchester Friendship, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Busty Asian Beauties (Supernatural), Cas is 21, Castiel & Meg Masters Friendship, Castiel & Sam Winchester Friendship, Castiel Worries About Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester BDSM, Charlie Bradbury & Castiel Friendship, Dead John Winchester and Mary Winchester, Dean Winchester is Sam Winchester's Parent, Dean is 23, F/F, F/M, Foster Mom Jody Mills, Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), Gay Sex, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Jo Harvelle & Dean Winchester Friendship, Jo Harvelle Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Light BDSM, M/M, Massage, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Protective Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam is 19, Seduction, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Stanford Student Sam Winchester, Writer Castiel (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFifthCharmedOne/pseuds/TheFifthCharmedOne
Summary: In a world where Sam didn't get a full scholarship to Stanford, Dean resorts to a becoming a paid assassin. He does his job, gets paid, and comes home mostly unscathed. Cas is his f*ckbuddy/soulmate/love of his life/best friend and he takes care of Sam when Dean is on a job.It's not supposed to be complicated...until it is.
Relationships: Benny Lafitte & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel & Meg Masters, Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury & Castiel, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Jo Harvelle & Dean Winchester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. i. banter

"Please don't hurt me...I'll do anything..."

It took everything in Dean not to roll his eyes as his target pled for his pitiful life. He'd already been paid for this gig and this bastard had been a bitch and a half to find. Now, he was getting on his last nerve.

"We can do this one of two ways," Dean cut off the man's pathetic sobs, pulling the safety back on his pistol and aiming it right between the guy's eyes. He nearly went cross-eyed trying to stare down the barrel and Dean would've laughed he wasn't so used to it. "One, I can make it quick and shoot you now." Dean curled his finger over the trigger, not quite touching it or applying enough force to fire it. "Or, the toxin that was put in your tea will do the job for me, but it'll be much slower and excruciating." Dean shrugged, green eyes narrowed as he stared the target down. "Your call."

* * *

"Hello, Dean." Dean's fist was still raised when the door to Cas's apartment opened. The man himself wore Dean's robe to cover the fact that he typically slept commando. "Or should I say, welcome back."

"Heya, Cas. Is Sam asleep?"

"Yes. He's exhausted himself stressing about one of his final exams despite my repeated encouragement that he will do just fine."

"Sounds about right. Um. Can I come in?" Cas stepped aside wordlessly and closed the door behind Dean. He flipped the lock and the sound echoed in the 2-bedroom apartment Dean helped Cas pay for. Like the rest of California, Palo Alto was an expensive place to live, but Sam had wanted to go to Stanford since he learned what college was, and after all the crap they'd been through, Dean didn't have it in him to deny his kid brother anything.

Cas's apartment was modern, with mostly open-style living and decorated tastefully. The foyer area led directly into a kitchenette, which extended into the hallway where Sam's bedroom was. On the opposite side was the master bedroom which had its own ensuite bathroom.

"Are you hungry?" Cas asked, breaking the silence but still speaking lowly to avoid waking Sam. "Thirsty?" Cas padded over to the kitchenette and Dean watched him go, eyes lingering on the way the robe clung to Cas's ass. He followed Cas, leaning on the archway that separated the foyer from the kitchen. Cas busied himself with getting the Brita pitcher from the refrigerator, murmuring to himself about changing the filter at some point. He poured two glasses of water, as if it was totally normal to be awake at 3 am. Dean approached Cas from behind and rested his hands on the other man's waist. Cas stood to his full height, inhaling sharply when Dean's erection made itself known against the cleft of his rear.

"M'horny, Cas." Dean rumbled and Cas shivered. "Always am, after a job." he added, jutting his hips forward ever so slightly. Cas gasped outright this time. Smirking victoriously, Dean reached for the knot that kept Cas's robe closed, intent on fixing the issue, when Cas's hand clasped around his wrist like a Venus Flytrap around an idiotic fly, halting his movements. "Baby?" he asked, perplexed. Cas turned toward him with the glass of water in his hand, moving out of his embrace and putting roughly a foot between them.

"No sex until you drink this."

"Cas..." he groaned, but Cas was firm.

"You need to take better care of yourself, and if ensuring that means dealing with some minor sexual frustration, then so be it."

"Don't be cruel, Cas..." Dean stepped forward, but Cas dodged him easily. Now it was his turn to smirk.

"Drink up."

With a playful scowl, Dean makes a show of tilting the glass back and swallowing the cool liquid, deliberately slow. Cas's eyes are on his throat, his lips parted ever so slightly. He licked them quickly, his tongue darting out lizard-like and innocent.

Except it wasn't. Dean finished drinking, setting the glass on the bar with a devilish grin.

"C'mere."

* * *

"Morning, bitch." Dean greets Sam the next day. His brother is eating a bowl of Mini-Wheats, the nerd, and scrolling through his phone.

"Jerk," Sam returned reflexively and Dean grinned at their banter. "What time did you get in?"

"Round 3," Dean replied before drinking orange juice straight from the carton. Using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth, he recalled what Cas had told him the night before. "When's your final?"

"Not until this afternoon," said Sam, picking up the cereal bowl to drink the leftover milk. He lowered the bowl again once he was done, closing the cereal box and getting up to put it in the sink. "Might go over to the library to study some more though."

"Why? You don't need to," Dean ruffled Sam's hair with a grin. "Be a slacker for once!"

"Not a chance." Sam laughed, dodging another attempt to mess with him. "Besides, there's this...girl...at the library. She's, uh. She's deaf and _really_ pretty." Color bloomed across his face, and affection pooled in Dean's chest at the sight.

"About time you showed some interest in the opposite sex!" Dean cheered, and Sam rolled his eyes affectionately. "Go on, go then. Don't forget to invite me to the wedding!"

" _Dean!_ " Sam's blush worsened and his older brother's laugh followed him out the door. At that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket and all laughter ceased. He unlocked the device and found coordinates from a blocked number. 'Another job so soon?' he thought with a frown. Another text followed, and Dean's eyebrows shot up. $15K for one hit? **'Consider it done.'** He typed back and he set about packing a duffel bag.

"You're leaving." Dean's head jerked up from where he'd been packing his shotgun and found Cas staring holes in his bag, arms crossed over his chest and an angry scowl marring his handsome face. "So soon?"

"The proxy is willing to pay $15K for this hit." he responded, but Cas didn't seem impressed by this news. If anything, he was even _less_ enthused than before. "Why do you look like someone just spit in your food?"

"You haven't even been back 24 hours and you're already leaving again." Cas snapped. "What am I supposed to tell Sam?"

"Whatever you usually do." Dean shrugged. "So long as it's not the truth."

"Dean..." Cas sighed heavily and walked toward him, cradling Dean's face and jaw, brushing his thumb over the other man's cheekbone. "Be careful." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Dean's, trying to convey all of the feelings he wasn't brave enough to say yet. Dean returned the kiss passionately, yanking Cas against him. Cas ended the kiss before Dean could go further, closing himself in the bathroom. Dean waited until he heard the shower turn on, shouldering his duffel. Somehow, the bag felt far heavier than it ever had before.


	2. ii. exploratory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas worries. Dean does his job and gets hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented, left kudos or bookmarked this new project of mine! I almost forgot how fun fanfiction can be. Hope y'all enjoy this new chapter!

Castiel let the bathroom fill with steam from his shower, leaning his head on the closed bathroom door, waiting until he heard the apartment door close behind Dean. He undid Dean's robe and let it drop to the floor, stepping under the glorious shower pressure his apartment had been blessed with.

Water sluiced over his body, highlighting the love bites and hickeys that Dean had left on his collarbone, hips, and inner thighs. Dean was a passionate, exploratory lover and every one of their encounters bested the one before it, almost as if Dean saw each orgasm as a challenge to do better. He knew _exactly_ how to drive Cas wild, while Cas often felt like an inexperienced virgin in Dean's presence. With a sigh, he poured shampoo onto his palm and went about washing his hair, pushing thoughts of the night before from his mind, focusing instead on the next chapter in his latest erotic fiction novel that was due to his agent by the end of the week.

* * *

Zachariah Adler was a son of a bitch. 

Even more so than his last job, at least that guy wasn't an _arrogant_ piece of shit. Adler apparently knew that someone was after him, because he'd set a trap for Dean, one that Dean was ashamed to admit he'd gotten caught in. Now he was tied to a rafter by his wrists, feet dangling over a concrete floor. Blood slid down his face from the head wound that had knocked him out and his arms ached from being in the same position for so long. 'Now I understand why he had such a big price on his head.' Dean thought, pulling uselessly at his restraints. His pistol was lying on a crate no more than six feet away from him, and his target sat on a collapsable beach chair, right ankle propped against his left knee and hands clasped over his right knee. He even wore a full suit to complete his pathetic imitation of George Clooney on the David Letterman show. 

"Tell me, Dean Winchester, how did a foster care reject like yourself end up in this sort of career path? Murder for hire? Tut, tut, what would you mother say?"

"Fuck you." Dean snarled, and the bastard had the audacity to chuckle. 'Forget making this quick. I'm going to tear this guy to shreds.' Dean thought viciously.

"You know, you can learn a lot about a person by what they carry on their person. For example, you have several state IDs in your wallet, most of which are expired, except for the California one. This tells me that you live, or at the very least spend a significant amount of time in, the Golden State." Zachariah got to his feet and approached Dean, a satisfied smirk curling his lips. "Now, what could keep you coming back to that specific state, as an assassin for hire, if not family or a significant other?"

"Has anyone ever introduced you to a mint, your breath _reeks._ " Zachariah leaned back and socked Dean across the face, knocking his jaw out of place.

"Okay, I've seen enough." A new voice declared, and a silver can rolled across the floor, hissing and popping before exploding, creating a thick fog. Something glinted above the smoke and the ropes holding Dean were cleanly cut. Dean's ankles screamed in protest at the sudden jolt and Dean went to one knee, grunting in pain.

"You good, brother?" Benny asked Dean, helping him to his feet. Dean hissed as circulation returned to his arms abruptly but he managed to nod, despite the stars swimming in front of his eyes and the pain that radiated across his face from his jaw bone. He tried to turn his head toward Adler, but Benny wouldn't let him, ushering him toward the exit while they still had cover. "Jo's got it, let's get you outta here." Dean's head dropped as his vision faded and he leaned more of his weight on Benny.

* * *

Cas's phone rang around 4 am the following night, rousing him from a fitful sleep. He grappled for it, eyes bleary and brain only partially functional.

"H-Hello?" he said, not even bothering to check the caller ID.

"Is this Cas-tee-el Collins?" an unknown male voice sounded out his name phonetically, and Cas blinked as fear spiked through him.

"It is,"

"Hello, Mr. Collins. I'm sorry to wake you, but you're listed as the emergency contact for Dean Winchester. He's just been admitted to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nothing life threatening, but his jaw was dislocated and he's therefore unable to speak on his own behalf. Would it be too much trouble for you to come and sign some paperwork?"

"Y-Yes, absolutely. I will be there as soon as possible. Thank you."

Cas threw his covers aside and hurriedly got dressed, pulling on boxers, jeans, and an old band t-shirt of Dean's. He opened his closet and retrieved his duffel bag, throwing some clothes and bathroom supplies into it before heading out into the apartment's foyer. He tried to be quiet, knowing that Sam was still asleep, but somehow managed to drop every loud thing in the kitchen as he prepared himself some food for the road. The microwave hummed behind him, slowly heating his oatmeal, and he paused to catch his breath for a moment. His chest was tight and his stomach clenched, worry pulling him in several directions.

"Cas?" Sam padded out of his bedroom, rubbing his eye and yawning. Despite being 19 and finishing his freshman year of college, he looked incredibly young to Cas in that moment, wearing Stanford sweatpants and an undershirt, feet bare on the hardwood floor. "What's going on?"

"I...Nothing. I just...I need to go away for a few days. I'll be back though, don't worry."

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, there's an author's conference in Vegas that I forgot about. Meg reminded me of it during our meeting today." He invented, hoping he sounded convincing enough for Sam, despite how much he hated lying to him and the numerous claims others had made that he was a bad liar.

"Oh, okay. Do you know when you'll be back?"

"By the end of the week." Cas rushed out, jumping slightly when the microwave beeped. He turned toward it, grateful that he didn't have to look into Sam's eyes any longer. The first mouthful of oatmeal burned his tongue, but he hardly noticed it, so preoccupied with thoughts of Dean. "Go back to sleep, Sam. Everything will be okay, I promise." he tried to infuse the words with as much peace and authority as possible. Sam stared at him for a few moments more, but turned back to his room and closed the door. Cas sighed in relief, slurping up his oatmeal as fast as he could and darting out the door.

* * *

Dean was pissed off, but he couldn't do anything about it, and Dean was volatile when frustrated. He wasn't annoyed with Jo or Benny for backing him up - he'd reached out to them for that exact reason - no, he was upset because he wasn't able to rip Adler to shreds like he wanted to. Jo had killed him quickly and destroyed his remains, as was their custom to avoid a detectable trail by police.

He stared contemptuously at the blanket covering his legs, arms crossed over his chest and sporting an impressive pout. His arms still hurt from being suspended in midair, though he couldn't feel his jaw at all. That was probably for the best, though, because he'd broken bones before and they _hurt_. 

"You look like hell."

Dean regarded Benny with as dry an expression as he could muster, and the other man chuckled under his breath. "We called Cas."

"You did what?!" Dean tried to say, but it came out mumbled and incoherent due to his injury. "What the fuck, Benny?!" Somehow, his friend understood him and shrugged.

"It was Jo's idea. She said he was the only one who could take care of your stubborn ass _and_ keep you from goin' on another job for a while." Dean grabbed the small whiteboard that the hospital had provided and scrawled a message. 

**_I can't go back to CA like this!_ **

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice, brother." Benny told him. "Maybe it's time you came clean bout this whole thing." Dean furiously wiped away the message with the fleshy side of his palm and wrote another. 

**_I can't, Benny. Sammy won't understand, or he'll blame himself for going to an Ivy instead of community or some shit when he's smart enough to go anywhere the fuck he wants._ **

The door opened before Benny could reply, and Dean pressed the board against his thighs to keep prying eyes from seeing the message. Cas came running in, and Dean wasn't prepared for the onslaught of desire that shot through him at the sight of Cas in a Black Sabbath t-shirt, in _Dean's_ Black Sabbath t-shirt no less. He'd have to ask Cas why he wore Dean's clothes so often, if for no other reason than to have something else to tease him about.

"Dean," Cas breathed out, shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank God, you're all right."

"I'll give you two some time alone." Benny said as he stood up. Startled, Cas whirled around, but relaxed once he realized who it was. "Good seein ya, Cas. Catch ya on the flip side, Dean."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize you were here." Cas said, offering his hand for a shake. Benny took it and told him not to worry and just to focus on the invalid. Dean flipped Benny off for that comment, but Benny either ignored it or didn't care, because he walked out of the hospital room, leaving Cas and Dean to their own devices.


	3. iii. tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam invites Eileen over to watch a movie while Cas is in Vegas. Cas and Dean get some bad news from the doctor.

Dean cleaned off his whiteboard and scribbled a message to Cas.

**_They shouldn't have called you._ **

Cas tilted his head, squinting in confusion. Dean's heart tripped over itself - how was this man so adorable? More importantly, how had he decided Dean was worth his time or energy?

"Why not? So you could lick your wounds for however long and then come back like nothing happened?"

**_You're mad._ **

Cas scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air and letting out all of the anger he'd been sitting on since he left Palo Alto.

"Do you have any idea what went through my head when the phone rang? Any clue whatsoever?" Dean mutely shook his head. "I thought it was going to be Benny, telling me that you didn't make it out. I thought you were grievously injured, and that I'd have to be the one to tell Sam what you should have explained to him long ago. Every time I watch you leave, I'm desperately afraid that you'll never come back. Do you know what that does to a person? What that has done to _me_?"

Dean scowled, wiping away his message and replacing with a new one.

**_If you want out, all you have to do is say it. No one's forcing you to stick around._ **

"So sorry to interrupt," a pretty nurse with dark hair, brown eyes, and a lovely fruity perfume scooted into the room wearing pale pink scrubs and holding a laptop. "I just need to take your vitals and I'll be out of your hair." As she busied herself with taking Dean's blood pressure, pulse, bandages, and all of his other needs, Cas stared Dean down, still fuming. He stared right back, and the tension became so thick it almost suffocated them.

Once the nurse did her job, she introduced herself as Lisa and told them to press the call button if there was anything they needed. After that, she left the room and closed the door behind her, encouraging Dean to get some rest since he would have to be on a liquid diet from now until his jaw healed up.

* * *

Stanford's library was impressive in both size and selection, but Sam wasn't interested in research today. Today, he was finally going to talk to Eileen Leahy, the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. If things went well, he'd follow through on his plan to invite her back to Cas's apartment to watch a movie together. Though Cas's departure that morning had been bizarre, Sam figured that it wasn't a big deal. If it had been, Cas would have been honest with him. 'Quit procrastinating.' he berated himself, scanning the library for Eileen's signature auburn hair. 

He found her in front of one of the many campus computers, and based on her shoulder movements, she was rapidly typing something. Sam ran a nervous hand through his hair and approached her, butterflies zooming around his stomach like fighter planes. He tapped her shoulder and she turned to face him, her expression lighting up. 

He'd been working on his sign language in between studying for finals, so he signed to her, 'Hi, Eileen. I hope I'm not bothering you.'

She enthusiastically signed back with a smile, 'You could never bother me, Sam.'

"What's up?" she asked, signing it for emphasis. Sam chuckled nervously. He made sure to talk slower so that she could read his lips.

"My, uh...my roommate is out of town for a few days and I was wondering if you wanted to come over and watch a movie? We could get pizza or something." Eileen rewarded him with a shy smile.

'Are you asking me on a date?' she signed, and Sam's heart leapt.

"That depends on your answer."

"Then, yes, I'd love to." she said with a grin, and Sam had to physically stop himself from whooping in the middle of the library. 'What time?' she signed, and Sam thought about it before telling her 6 PM. He scribbled the address onto a piece of paper and signed that he'd better let her get back to her essay. She thanked him and he managed to speedwalk from the library, only pausing to pump his fist triumphantly once he was out of sight.

* * *

**_If you want out, all you have to do is say it. No one's forcing you to stick around._ **

The words stretched between them like bubble gum to your shoe. Dean was a stubborn bastard, so he kept staring at Cas, waiting for the other man to respond. Cas stared up at the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears back. A rough noise escaped his throat, whether it was a sob or a laugh, he couldn't be sure.

"I'm in way too deep to leave."

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Winchester's emergency contact?" At his nod, the nurse asked him to accompany her to the hall. With one last withering glare at Dean, Cas turned on his heel and followed her. "First thing's first, your partner will be perfectly healthy sooner than you think. Whatever impact he suffered severely dislocated his jaw and as a result, it will have to remain wired shut for no less than six weeks."

"Did you say...six weeks?" Cas asked for clarification and the nurse nodded, grimacing sympathetically.

"He will need someone to care for him during this time, as his capacity to care for himself will be severely limited based on his liquid diet and need for rest so that his body can naturally heal itself. Are you in such a position?"

"I-yes. Yes, I'll care for him." If Cas wanted to, he could probably send Dean to stay with his foster parents, Jody and Bobby, but something stopped him from calling them. Sure, he'd have to let them know at some point that their foster son had been hospitalized, but the idea of sending him to live in South Dakota seemed petty and immature in Cas's mind, especially since Cas was perfectly capable of caring for him.

He signed the rest of the paperwork and went back into Dean's room. He found the man had fallen asleep, his head tilted toward the window and eyes closed. Moments like this made him hate Dean Winchester for his beauty - it simply wasn't fair that he could be so gorgeous and such an assbutt. 

Cas approached the bed and reached toward the other man, intending to brush hair from his face, only for Dean open his eyes, smirk, and take hold of Cas's hand so that he could pull him into bed. With a yelp, Cas went down, suddenly trapped between the handrails and Dean's warmth.

"Dean!" Cas protested, and Dean's chest vibrated with laughter, his forearm like an iron bar over Cas's chest, holding him in place. Dean's other hand drifted under Cas's shirt to his belly, caressing his midsection until he came to Cas's left nipple, which he tweaked. "Okay, nope, that's enough." Cas struggled, but he eventually got out Dean's hold, ungracefully getting to his feet and putting distance between them. He straightened his shirt and inhaled carefully, determined to act unaffected. 

Dean had the audacity to pout, sticking out his sinfully full and pink lower lip. 'He's not playing fair.' Cas thought, clenching his jaw as he remembered why he was so upset with Dean right now. "You are a _menace._ " he said, biting the inside of his cheek to bring awareness back to his brain instead of his dick. "No sex until your jaw is _completely_ healed. I'm still mad at you."

**_How long will that be?_ **

Cas told him, and he couldn't help but laugh at the look of utter horror on Dean's face. He quickly erased the first message and scribbled out another.

**_Bet I can convince you to change your mind._ **

"You can try."

**_Challenge accepted._ **


	4. iv. menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eileen and Sam do some snooping. Cas and Dean have to stay in a hotel while the latter's jaw is wired shut, and Dean is on a mission.

**Hello, Sam. Just checking in, I hope your exam went well.**

Cas sent the text and put his phone in his back pocket, mulling over his and Dean's disagreement. It wasn't the first time Dean had been injured in his line of work, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. That said, the fear that plagued Cas day in and day out was enough to exhaust anyone and he felt justified in everything he'd said to Dean. His phone beeped and he pulled it back out to see a reply from Sam.

**Hi, Cas. Exam went well, having a friend over tonight for pizza and a movie. Hope that's all right.**

**As long as you're responsible and clean up after yourself. Have fun!**

Cas trusted Sam; Dean had raised him well.

"Sam's having a friend over at the apartment tonight," Cas told Dean conversationally, and Dean harrumphed. He scrawled out a response on his whiteboard,

**_I hope he finally gets laid._ **

Cas rolled his eyes, not surprised at Dean's response but exasperated all the same.

"Not everyone is as sex driven as you." If he could've, Dean would've grinned flirtatiously, but he settled for writing out another message.

**_It takes two to tango. ;)_ **

Cas's face filled with heat when Dean winked at him and he cleared his throat to keep his hormones in check. He could be mad at Dean all he wanted, but he couldn't deny the tension that simmered between them. Before Cas could respond, the door to the hospital room opened and a Hispanic man with a white lab coat and stethoscope draped around his neck came into the room.

"Mr...Winchester," he paused to give Dean a once over and jotted something down on the clipboard in his hand. "Aside from your jaw, you are in perfect health. As such, there is no further need to keep you here in the hospital. One of the nurses is working on your discharge papers as we speak." Dean let out a noise of jubilation, but the doctor held up a hand. "Ah, ah, ah - your jaw will need to remain wired for the next two weeks to prevent further damage. Once the two weeks are up, you'll have to come back for an evaluation. If all goes well then, we'll be able to remove the wiring and send you home with painkillers and a promise to avoid opening your mouth too widely." he turned to Cas, who straightened his posture at the serious expression the doctor had on. "You're his emergency contact, correct? You'll be the one to care for him?" At Cas's nod, the doctor continued, "Excellent. I suggest you make accommodations to stay in the area until your partner's jaw can be unwired. His chart says his primary residence is in Palo Alto, California, is that correct?" Cas nodded again; Dean didn't technically have a place of his own, but he stayed at Cas's between jobs, and it was easier to agree than to explain the details. "While you could go to a hospital there for the procedure, we suggest that you stay locally to keep things as cohesive as possible. Unless either of you have a reason to go to a different doctor...?" Cas shook his head and Dean wrote **_Nope._** on his board. "Very well then. The nurse should be in soon with those papers and you will be free to go."

* * *

Sam had never been one to fidget, but he couldn't seem to sit still while he waited for Eileen to come over. If he wasn't tapping his fingers, mindlessly scrolling through his phone, or obsessively glancing at the clock, he was coming up with all sorts of scenarios for her to ditch him. Dean would say that she was out of his league, and in a way he was probably right, but Sam _really_ liked Eileen and he was pretty sure she liked him too.

The knock on the door made him jump, which he immediately chastised himself for, since _hello_ he was waiting for someone, after all. He forced himself to breathe, straightened out his shirt, and opened the door. Eileen stood in the hallway, wearing army green pants and a white t-shirt that said 'I'm Deaf, not Stupid' in black letters. Sam couldn't help the laugh that fell from his lips at the blunt humor she favored. 

'Hi, Eileen,' he signed, and she grinned at him, which of course made his knees weak. 

'Hi, Sam.' she signed back. "Can I come in?" she said aloud, and Sam stepped aside, gesturing to the rest of the apartment. She laughed and walked in. Sam closed the door behind her and tried to keep his heart from hammering. _Just friends hanging out. Chill._

'Do you want to order pizza first or watch the movie?' he signed, and she signed back that she'd rather start the movie. "Where's your roommate?" she asked aloud.

"He had some kind of author's conference in Vegas that he forgot about." Sam replied, once again reminding himself to speak slowly so she could read his lips.

'Ooh, which one?!' she signed excitedly. 'I'd love to go to an author's conference one day!'

"You like writing?" Sam asked, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Maybe I could get you in touch with Cas's agent."

"You would do that?" she asked, awestruck with an unnamed emotion swimming in her eyes. Sam swallowed hard and nodded, surprised at how well this whole thing was going. "Wait. Which conference was it?"

'Cas didn't say.' he signed, his brows furrowing at the perturbed look on Eileen's face.

"What?" he asked, and she paused, considering her words carefully. 

'We'd have to check, but I don't think there's a conference of any kind happening in Vegas right now,' she signed, and something in Sam deflated. _Cas wouldn't have any reason to lie to me...would he?_

* * *

Cas easily found a hotel that allowed for lengthy rental periods - they _were_ in Vegas, after all. He also found a Walmart within walking distance, which was helpful because neither he or Dean were old enough to legally rent a car and Cas refused to break the law for something as menial as that. So, they got settled and Cas forced Dean to rest while he handled the shopping trip.

While at Walmart, he bought some clothes for them since they would be here longer than their packed clothing would extend, and as much liquified food as he could carry. He came back to their hotel room and found Dean watching Busty Asian Beauties on pay-per-view. He rolled his eyes heavenward and said,

"You're paying me back for any porn you watch while we're here," Cas busied himself with putting the groceries away and only turned to face Dean once he knocked on the bedside table to indicate he had a message on his white board. He also turned off the pay-per-view, leaving the room eerily silent without the obnoxious moans of the sex workers on screen.

 _ **I know you're mad at me, but I miss you, baby.**_ Dean patted the space next to him on the king-size bed and Cas's mouth went dry. He turned away from Dean's puppy dog eyes.

"I need to finish putting these away. Besides, I believe I said no sex until your jaw is healed, and I meant it."

Another knock on the table and Cas almost dreaded reading what Dean had to say.

**_Who said anything about sex? We could just...mess around._ **

He gave Cas a heated, lingering once over, desire in his eyes.

"Dean, I said no." Cas finally finished putting groceries away, purposefully ignoring Dean even when he knocked on the table multiple times. "I'm getting a shower. _Alone._ "

Without another word, Cas went into the bathroom. He briefly debated locking the door, but he decided against it. Dean would never continue to pursue him unless they'd previously agreed on it, as a dom/sub fantasy. He understood and accepted consent.

Cas got undressed quickly and got into the shower, surprised at the hotel's water pressure. It wasn't quite as good as what he had at home, but it was pleasant enough. He made use of the shampoo and conditioner, taking his time and getting lost in thought. He was surprised that Meg hadn't contacted him about his deadline, but he figured it wasn't really her job to get on his case about that, he was supposed to be responsible enough to sort it out. Normally, he was. Even with the man he loved coming and going constantly, putting himself in danger for the sake of his younger brother's education. _'If Sam ever uncovered the lengths Dean has gone to ensure his education is paid for, he'd be devastated.'_ Cas thought with a frown. _'I get why Dean hasn't told him, but I also think that Sam's mature enough to understand.'_

Cas sighed and turned off the shower, reaching for his towel and drying himself efficiently before tying it around his waist. When he exited the bathroom, Dean was standing in the kitchen, making a face at the pureed food he would have to eat for at least the next two weeks. He must have noticed Cas in his periphery, because he dropped the food and openly stared, licking his lips like Cas was the meal. Heat pooled in Cas's abdomen, the blood careening through him toward his "downstairs brain" as Dean called it.

 _ **You're killin' me here, man.**_ Dean whined via the whiteboard, and Cas smirked in spite of himself. Perhaps now Dean would feel a modicum of the emotions Castiel felt when the tables were turned. When Castiel was up half the night worrying about Dean's safety, when he turned down date requests because even though their relationship was _supposed_ to be casual, it wasn't, not for Cas. He had no idea how Dean felt, and he was too much of a coward to ask.

So he suffered in silence, falling farther and father in love every day, getting half of what he wanted (the incredible sex) while letting his emotions take a backseat.

"You should eat." Cas told him. "I'm going to get dressed."

Before he could lean over to grab boxers, Dean had crossed the room and was very close, his rough hands on Cas's bare shoulders. Cas shivered and let himself be moved to the bed, towel forgotten, lying face down while Dean straddled him, knees on either side of Cas's hips, denim-covered erection pressing against Cas's rear end. Cas groaned into the duvet, and he could practically _hear_ Dean's cocky smirk.

Dean dragged his hands down the expanse of Cas's back before returning to the base of his neck, where he began to massage Cas's muscles, his thumbs working magic against the tension that was stored there. Cas moaned as his body loosened, but he was slightly curious about Dean's motives. He tried to raise his head and ask, but Dean hit a particularly sore spot on his left shoulder blade, and the noise that came from him mirrored an orgasm in both volume and intensity.

"D-Dean, why are you...?" Cas managed, even as Dean rolled his hips into Cas's rear, the friction a delightful torture.

 ** _Cuz I wanna._** Dean wrote on the whiteboard. He leaned down and kissed each knob of Cas's spine, starting at the top and making his way to his tailbone. Then he went back up, stopping at Cas's hairline. Logically, Cas knew that he should stop Dean, that the other man needed to eat and rest, but Dean knew exactly how to make him speechless with just a few nips along his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Typically_ , busted jaws do take six weeks to heal, but this is fanfiction, so normal people rules don't apply!


End file.
